Psalm 117-11.16.22
Scripture
Psalms 117:1-2 NIV
“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.”
Observation-What does it say?
Psalm 117 is the shortest Psalm and shortest chapter in the Bible, but the Psalmist gives two main reasons why we must praise the Lord. (David Guzik commentary on enduringword.com)
Understanding-What does it mean?
God is worthy of our praise ALL the time!
Praise and Worship to God is not an activity based on feelings or circumstances. Why? Because both instances (our feelings and circumstances) change.
2 main reasons why we praise and worship, which the Psalmist points out, are: 1) God’s love for us. 2) His faithfulness. Both of these endure forever, throughout eternity.
Life Application
It doesn’t matter where you are right now. Give Him your worship and praise!
Dear Lord, may we honor You with our praise and worship all the time. Thank You for Your love for us and for your faithfulness. Thank You for Your promise to never leave us or forsake us. Amen.
-Michelle Gaddi
Esther 10-11.15.22
SCRIPTURE:
Esther 10:3
"Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, famous among the Jews, and highly popular with many of his relatives. He continued to seek good for his people and to speak for the welfare of all his descendants."
OBSERVATION:
In the book of Esther, we see how God intervened when Haman, a Persian high official began to hate Esther's legal guardian Mordecai, and arranged to have him and all the Jews exterminated. When Mordecai was targeted by the second most powerful person in the kingdom, the situation looked very bleak, but... Mordecai trusted God.
When Esther seemed to be the only hope for the survival of herself and her whole nation, she risked her life for the sake of God's people. God honored both their faith and their human efforts. Esther modeled living as a godly woman in a pagan culture, complying with local cultural practices where they didn't conflict with godly morals and ethics. Mordecai refused to give a man the kind of worship that only God deserves. Persecution was the inevitable result of living in a pagan environment, but Esther and Mordecai trusted that God would bring justice in the end!" (Life Essentials Study Bible by Gene Getz).
UNDERSTANDING:
No matter how evil the world becomes, we are to put our faith in God's sovereign promise that someday Jesus will deliver all true believers from this evil world.
LIFE APPLICATION:
It takes a great amount of wisdom to live in a non-believing world. In a setting which is for the most part hostile to Christianity, I pray we will rely on the Lord's wisdom and depend on His guidance and strength. I pray we will give respect to what is true and good as we humbly stand against what is wrong.
I thank God that He has promised to guide and defend the ones who have put their trust in Him.
Thank You Lord that You are able to save us from the evil of this world and deliver us from sin and death. I pray we will keep our hope and trust in You, and not fear what people may say or do to us, instead, I pray we will be confident in knowing that You are the sovereign, powerful God, Who is in control of history.
-Robin Orefice
Psalm 115-11.14.22
Scripture
Psalms 115:1 NLT
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this psalm, the psalmist understands that their people serve the One True Living God. All others serve mere idols, man made sculptures made of silver and gold. Their gods do not speak, see, or even hear. The psalmist calls the people of Israel, and all who are God fearing, to trust God; because God is their helper and shield, and He will surely bless them. Their God created the heavens and the earth. He protects and saves His people. He is worthy to be praised.
Understanding-What does it mean?
All glory and honor belong to God!
All that I am, and all that I have is because of God. God is behind every little detail in my life. All the good, and even the bad. He gives me strength and favor to find success at work. Even through my failures, God is with me to strengthen me, build me up, and deepen my faith in Him. He is with me every step of the way. He provides my every need. His mercies, protection, and grace surround me each day. He gives me courage when I am scared. He gives me love no matter what. He blessed me with a loving family at home and at church. I honestly don’t know how I can live without Him. He is my constant. He is my savior. He is my God.
“But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results.”-1 Corinth 15:10a
Life Application
Have you given God your glory and honor today?
Take some time today to give God the glory, honor, and praise He deserves. You know, this month at our church, we focus on building our habits of honoring God and honoring each other. Have you taken the time to do that yet? There are cards inside the church’s sanctuary that you can write on, and then pin them on the wall. You can even write someone a letter, or send them an email, or shoot them a text to let them know how much you appreciate and honor them. Maybe even do it face to face over a meal! Whatever you choose to do, make it a point to do it. It’s a great way to practice the two important commandments Jesus gave us to keep: 1) Love God. 2) Love people. I would even like to challenge you all to not just make these things a November habit, but make them a daily habit. Honoring God and one another is a great way to reveal God’s glory to all those around us. 😊
-Moses Gaddi